Effects of self-awareness related to psychosocial growth on life skills acquisition: Examination based on self-disclosure in physical education classes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to reveal indirect effects of self-awareness related to psychosocial growth induced by self-disclosure in university physical education classes on life skills (hereinafter, LS). This study consisted of the preliminary survey (open-ended survey) and the main survey. Both of them targeted the same first year students who enrolled in the national university, department of education, located in Kansai district in Japan, April 2015. The former survey (n=140, ratio of valid responses 81.4%) was conducted at the middle stage of the first semester 2015. 374 descriptions about self-awareness induced by self-disclosure through sport activities and communications with numerous others in physical education classes were obtained. After that, 19 descriptions were selected as the items of the questionnaire to assess the students’ self-awareness in relation to psychosocial growth. The latter survey (n=155, male 57, female 98, average age 18.37 ± 0.56, range of age 18-21, ratio of valid responses 90.1%) was conducted at the final stage of the first semester 2015. The participants completed the questionnaire consisted of the following contents: 1) a number of items selected in the preliminary survey to assess self-awareness related to psychosocial growth, 2) the scale of self-disclosure in university physical education classes, and 3) the scale of LS. The result of exploratory factor analyses using the data of self-awareness, the main factor in this research named “self-awareness related to psychosocial growth” was extracted. The result of Structural Equation Modeling showed that; 1) the positive effect of self-disclosure in physical education classes on self-awareness was indicated, 2) indirect positive and negative effects of self-awareness induced by self-disclosure were revealed on self-esteem negatively, on the interpersonal LS (empathy and interpersonal manner) positively, and 3) the direct positive effects from self-disclosure to LS (self-esteem, intimacy, leadership, and empathy) which were reported in the previous study were confirmed. Finally, a few practicing strategies of university physical education classes which could facilitate effectively students’ self-disclosure were discussed.